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Olympic gold medalist Clary hopes for NASCAR ride

By WTOP Staff

PAUL NEWBERRY
AP National Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Tyler Clary loves to race, whether he’s in the water or behind the wheel.

Still, the guy who won a gold medal in swimming at the London Olympics figured no one would take his other passion seriously if he didn’t make a bold gesture.

So, he packed his bags, moved to the heart of NASCAR country, and struck up a friendship with six-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.

Clary hopes it will ultimately pay off with his own stock car ride, though swimming remains his top priority at the moment.

“It becomes more real for everybody, especially when you’re knocking on the doors of the teams, you’re meeting people face to face,” Clary said. “They can see it in my eyes, how I carry myself, that I’m serious about it.”

The plan is to take more swimming gold at the 2016 Rio Games before switching full-time to NASCAR the following year. There would be stints in both Trucks and the Nationwide Series, with the ultimate goal of moving up to Sprint Cup in 2021.

By then, he’ll be 32 years old, certainly rather old by racing standards to be breaking in as a rookie.

But Clary shrugs off those who might say he’s been stuck too long at the starting line.

“It used to be that you had to be young to take the impacts and forces and conditions inside the car,” he said. “Now that the driver support systems have come so far, you can do it into a much older age than you used to. Just look at Mark Martin,” referring to the driver who was still highly competitive well into his 50s.

Besides, Clary added, “I’ve made a living doing things people never thought I could.”

Indeed, a chip-on-the-shoulder outlook has helped Clary keep up with more gifted swimmers such as Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte. In 2012, Clary failed to make the U.S. Olympic team in what was seemingly his best event, the 400-meter individual medley, but he shook off that disappointment to qualify in two other races. Then, at London, he upset Lochte in the 200 backstroke for the first gold medal of his career.

Clary’s love of cars goes back to the earliest memories of his family heading to the California desert to race dune buggies. As a self-proclaimed nerd, he was especially intrigued by the high-tech world of Formula One but knew it would be a real longshot to break into that form of racing. NASCAR was a better fit.

“The capabilities of the Formula One car are incredible,” Clary said. “But I think the capabilities of the drivers in stock car racing are that much and more. You have less grip, you have less downforce, the cars are heavier, yet they are still doing things in those cars that most people would think are impossible.”

It helps to have friends in high places.

After moving to Charlotte in March to train with SwimMAC Carolina, Clary was thrilled when he heard that Johnson usually swims a couple of times a week at the team’s main training pool, the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center. Coach Dave Marsh arranged a meeting between the two, and they quickly struck up a friendship.

Clary is working with Johnson, who swam on his high school team, to improve his stroke. Johnson is passing along plenty of helpful tidbits about racing.

“I know that he has a passion for motorsports and wants to get involved,” Johnson said. “I’d love to help. He’s a great guy.”

For now, Clary is trying to get as much practice time as he can in late-model cars. Next year, he hopes to enter a few races in the K&N Pro Series East, a regional circuit owned by NASCAR. In 2016, he’ll be fully focused on swimming through the Olympics, but plans to shift to racing as soon as he’s done at Rio, with an eye toward landing a full-time ride in the Truck Series the following year.

“I’ve been telling him, under the radar, if he can try to drive late models and get seat time to get that transition going, and obviously work on some sponsorship,” Johnson said.

Marsh made it clear to Clary he didn’t want him coming to Charlotte unless swimming was his primary focus until the Olympics. Besides, another gold medal at Rio would likely enhance Clary’s chances of moving to NASCAR, especially when it comes to lining up funding.

“Everybody’s told him, ‘The best thing you can do to get a better NASCAR (deal) is to swim faster,'” Marsh said. “That’s where his reputation is, that’s where his branding is, that’s where his unique name is.”

Clary can’t wait to get started.

“I’m one of those guys who has a screw loose,” he said with a smile. “I’d rather go out with a big, fiery crash than slowly dying in my bed as an old guy.”

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AP Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer in Concord, North Carolina, contributed to this report.

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Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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